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Noori, smart ring

22 de January de 2019

New Visions, New Leaders

"Masters of Design and Innovation 2017"

Number 10 - 22 de January de 2019

Masters of Design and Innovation

Sexual violence is a long-standing, global human rights violation that affects everyone, no matter their gender, age, and ethnicity. Every 98 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. 90% of sexual assault victims are women, with female university students between the ages of 18-24 being 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Out of the cases that involve female university students, only 20% are reported. Reasons for not reporting include feelings of shame, fear of having to relive the experience when explaining the story, and lack of support from the university and local authorities, which tend to blame the victim.

I began to think of ways in which a product could help female students feel more safe and confident, if ever put in a threatening situation, such as physical and sexual assault. The product needed to have the ability to act instantly, so I came up with the idea of a wearable device, so that it’s easily accessible, user-friendly, and discreet. The product will function as an alarm system, in order to distract the perpetrator and notify loved ones and authorities of the situation. The wearable product will be customisable, and presented as a fashion accessory – something that the user would already incorporate into their daily lives.